Why you too can achieve better user journeys by optimizing the experience

The market speaks a clear language

If more than half of IT service providers report that their customers are increasingly asking for digital experience solutions, then this is no coincidence. Today, your own customers – the end customers – expect seamless digital experiences. They are used to apps that work intuitively, online services that run smoothly and digital touchpoints that are perfectly coordinated.

They transfer these expectations to all their interactions with your company:

• Your website should not only inform, but also convince
• Your digital services should work without needing an explanation
• Your customer journey should be well thought out and consistent
• Your internal processes should not have a negative impact on the customer experience

Digital experience – your challenges

1. Your customers have become more demanding

The Lünendonk study shows that despite economic challenges, 91% of companies are investing in cyber security, 80% in IT modernization and 77% in process automation. But these investments are only successful if they ultimately lead to better customer experiences.

Example: You modernize your CRM system. Technically, everything runs perfectly – but if your sales employees find the system cumbersome, customer inquiries are processed more slowly. Your customers notice this immediately.

2. End-to-end thinking becomes a competitive advantage

Your customers do not experience your company in silos – they go through a coherent journey from initial research to after-sales service. Service design helps to optimize this entire journey.

In concrete terms, this means that when a customer requests a quote online, places an order in a sales meeting and contacts support later, it should feel like a well-thought-out process – not like three separate departments.

3. Internal UX influences external customer experience

The study shows: Only 45% of companies have established cross-functional agile teams. This means that internal collaboration is not yet working optimally in 55% of them. And your customers are feeling it.

Example: Product development launches a new feature on the market without consulting support or sales. Customers have questions, but no one in customer contact is prepared. This looks uncoordinated and leaves a bad impression. Agile, cross-functional teams do this better.

4. The hidden costs of poor user experience

What happens if you neglect digital experience?

• Your customers turn away: 91% of dissatisfied users simply leave a website – they don’t complain, they leave
• Your employees lose time: cumbersome internal systems cost productivity every day
• Your projects fail: IT modernization without a UX focus often leads to low user adoption
• Your competitors are overtaking you: While you are still thinking about it, others are already optimizing their customer journey

Digital experience – solutions for your challenges

User research is the first step

Before you invest in new systems or processes, you should understand how your customers and employees really work. User research reveals where the real pain points are.

One example: In a usability test, one user said: “Yes, you can find all the functions. But no one works like that.” What seemed technically perfect didn’t match the actual workflow at all in everyday life. You can only gain such insights through direct contact with your users.

Seizing market opportunities through UX

The study shows clear growth areas: Data & AI (+18.5%), Cyber Security (+11.4%), Managed Services (+9.8%). What all these areas have in common is that they only work well if services and user interfaces are designed to be user-friendly. This is where professional UX design comes into play, turning the user experience of AI tools, security solutions and managed services into a holistic experience.

Regulated sectors show the way

The medical sector is leading the way: Medical service design is no longer an option, but part of the approval process. Standards such as IEC 62366-1 prescribe systematic user analyses. UX is becoming mandatory rather than optional. Our customers from more and more industries are experiencing this: Experience design is now also standard for financial services, automotive or HMI design. Those who systematically invest in digital experience today will be better positioned tomorrow.

Establish user-centered thinking

Digitalization is more than just a project – it is a fundamental change. Only those who strengthen the integration of UX at all levels of the company will create unique products. A UX strategy aligned with your goals paves the way. With MatchMAXing, you lay the foundation for your human-centered corporate strategy.

Q&A: Frequently asked questions about digital experience and customer journey

What does it mean for my company that 58% of IT service providers have been influenced by Digital Experience?

It means that your own customers already expect better digital experiences. IT service providers are responding to this demand because companies like yours no longer want purely technical solutions, but sophisticated end-to-end experiences. If you don’t meet these expectations, your competitors will have an advantage.

How do I know if our customer journey has problems?

Watch out for these warning signals: high abandonment rates in online processes, frequent inquiries to support, complaints about cumbersome processes or when customers say “It’s easier with others”. User research can systematically identify such problems – ideally before customers churn.

Why should we invest in internal UX if our customers don’t see it directly?

Because poor internal UX has a direct impact on your customers. If your employees have to use cumbersome systems, requests take longer, more errors occur and motivation decreases. Your customers notice this immediately. Good internal UX leads to a better customer experience (in german).

How does service design differ from normal UX design?

UX design optimizes individual touchpoints – service design looks at your entire customer journey. It coordinates all touchpoints, internal processes and stakeholders for consistent customer experiences. If you want your customers to have a well-thought-out experience from the website to sales and support, you need service design.

Are UX investments also worthwhile for B2B companies?

Especially for B2B! Your business customers are just as human as consumer customers – they expect intuitive, efficient processes. The Lünendonk Study 2025 shows: B2B customers are also increasingly demanding well thought-out user experiences. Those who deliver these will win orders and retain customers for longer.

How do I get started with Digital Experience in our company?

Start with your biggest pain points. Where are customers most annoyed? Which internal processes cost unnecessary time? Conduct structured interviews with customers and employees. Create customer journey maps for your most important processes. Important: Start small, but systematically.

What do AI and digitalization have to do with UX?

The Lünendonk Study 2025 shows: Data & AI leads with +18.5% growth. But the best technology is useless if people can’t or don’t want to use it. AI tools must deliver comprehensible results, fit into existing workflows and create trust. Without good UX, your digitalization investments will remain unused.

How do I measure the success of UX investments?

Define clear metrics: reduction of support requests, shorter processing times, higher customer satisfaction, fewer online process abandonments. Every euro invested in UX can bring a great return – but only if you track and continuously optimize the right UX KPIs (in german).

Is this all just hype or a long-term trend?

The figures speak for themselves: if more than half of IT service providers are influenced by demand for digital experience, this is a market shift, not hype. Your customers are already more demanding today – this trend will only intensify. Those who invest today will build sustainable competitive advantages.

As CEO of UID GmbH, Ralph Siegert develops Ralph Siegert and his team develop the digital product worlds of tomorrow and anchor UX in companies in a sustainable and agile way. With 25 years of experience in digitalization, often as a product owner in agile projects, he is an expert in the development of digital and innovation strategies. Before joining UID, Ralph worked for various IT service providers and international agencies for renowned clients as a link between the digital world, technology and business.